Gloucestershire officially appoints new Chief Constable
THE county's next Chief Constable was officially given the position today after facing a grilling about her suitability for the top job in Gloucestershire.
The Police and Crime Panel met at Shire Hall to decide whether or not to endorse Police and Crime Commissioner Martin Surl's preferred candidate, Suzette Davenport.
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Gloucestershire Constabulary
And after a lengthy question and answer session the panel decided to approve the decision – despite 'serious concerns' about the appointment process.
Discussions were dominated by questions surrounding the on-going investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) into allegations of police misconduct which Ms Davenport is currently subject to.
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Ms Davenport is one of nine officers at the centre of an IPCC inquiry into events leading up to a 2008 murder trial.
She told the panel: "Openness and transparency is absolutely critical and crucial to the public. It is an historic investigation from my time in Staffordshire some years ago.
"The judge quite rightly has asked some questions because he has been unhappy about what has been in court and that is quite right and proper so that people like me have the opportunity to show that they have not done anything wrong.
"I am absolutely confident when we come to the end of the investigation I will have been found not to have misconducted myself in any way, shape or form."
Mr Surl said he had been aware of the investigation when he selected her as his favourite candidate.
He told the panel: "I was aware of it because it was in the media. If you googled any candidate you will find the information because it is in the public domain. I have been in contact with the IPCC and asked if there was anything that would help with this process and they came back with nothing.
"I have done all I can. In this country people are innocent until proven guilty and that applies not only to a chief constable but also to everybody subject to the criminal justice system."
He added that Ms Davenport had given him a "true and honest assurance, an unequivocal assurance," that the investigation will "exonerate her".
Mr Surl went on to state the IPCC had "refused" to disclose the information he had requested and that Ms Davenport had disclosed the investigation "at the earliest possible opportunity".
He told the panel of councillors and independent members: "I have no more information about the investigation than you do. It has all been declined. I found that strange, that I am not allowed that information, but I am not and that is the reality."
He added that the interview panel found her to be the best candidate and the best person to take the constabulary forward.
"If there is a finding of guilt I will deal with it but I am not going to deal with it before I have the facts," he said.
Speaking after the decision was made the chairman of the panel, Councillor Brian Calway, said: "The Police and Crime Panel accept the recommendation of the Police and Crime Commissioner for the appointment of Suzette Davenport as Gloucestershire's Chief Constable, subject to her categorical assurances regarding the IPCC investigation.
"However, the Police and Crime Panel must record our serious concerns over the appointment process undertaken by the Commissioner's office.
"We believe that the issue of the IPCC investigation was not properly considered. Specifically, interview panel members did not have sufficient information to balance the candidate's performance against the risks to Gloucestershire Constabulary."
Comments
by raidermanuk
Tuesday, January 15 2013, 11:37PM
“AntiWinsor
Re Mr Calway "Why should he hear it before anyone else? He has a limited function in all this."
The fact that the PCP has the power of veto over the appointment of a new Chief Constable would suggest (to me) that it's common sense to advise the panel who the person is before it's made public.”
by raidermanuk
Tuesday, January 15 2013, 11:21PM
“Sorry folks, I tried to post the 3988 characters to complete my post from yesterday however, yet again, the TiG system doesn't like it!”
by JeremyBadger
Tuesday, January 15 2013, 8:10PM
“Raidermanuk,
Martin Surl got more votes for his election than Brian Calway did for his.
The public elected Martin Surl to the post of PCC, the public did not appoint Brian Calway to be the chair of the Police and Crime Panel but merely to be a county councillor. I have to agree with everything that AntiWinsor says on this occasion.”
by AntiWinsor
Tuesday, January 15 2013, 8:01AM
“I've experienced extraordinary lack of clarity from local councillors over the last six months. Simply being a councillor carries no special merit, it's the integrity and thoroughness of the individual that matters.
The PCC is required to provide "The criteria that were used to assess the suitability of the candidate." Is anyone suggesting this wasn't done?
Policing is in crisis by design. Attempts are being made to privatise and profit from the remains of the system that has protected us for so long. Gloucestershire must not allow flimsy arguments to get in the way of rebuilding our constabulary.”
by Ysedra
Tuesday, January 15 2013, 5:45AM
“TiG seems to have suffered technical problems today, or rather yesterday (is that the time?).”
by raidermanuk
Tuesday, January 15 2013, 12:52AM
“Sorry but the site will not accept the first part of the post below probably because the two posts are seen to be connected and exceed the 4000 character limit.”
by raidermanuk
Tuesday, January 15 2013, 12:45AM
“Continued from above... Mr Surl was selected by just 5.5% of the electorate at the first preference vote. Alarm bells ringing yet about the candidate choices and the PCC position in general? His interview panel for Ms Davenport consisted of one senior local government executive, one senior NHS executive, an ACPO official and just one independent who, whilst respectable and respected is not a captain of industry. Of the PCP, Mr Calway is a councillor as are ten of the 12 panel members. Draw your own conclusions.
I hope that Ms Davenport is cleared and wish her well.
Mr Surl should resign.”
by AntiWinsor
Monday, January 14 2013, 10:26PM
“It isn't a spat between two ex-coppers, it's one getting in a fluster over nothing. Brian seems to have sensibly given up complaining that he didn't get to hear who was selected before the rest of us. Why should he hear it before anyone else? He has a limited function in all this.
Regretfully I have to record my serious concerns over Brians competence. Google easily gives us this information from the BBC. "....shot in an execution-style killing after cutting in on a gang's lucrative trade moving crack cocaine from Wolverhampton to Aberdeen. The IPCC investigation into the handling of the murder inquiry started after the convicted men lodged an appeal...."
The convicted men lodged an appeal, as is their right. Public money will be spent and a verdict will be reached. The IPCC have declined to provide further information. If Brian needs someone to hold his hand and read the words off the screen for him we need a more competent chairperson for the Police and Crime Panel.”
by JeremyBadger
Monday, January 14 2013, 9:55PM
“I bet every copper in Gloucestershire are rolling around in laughter reading about this spat between the two ex-coppers Martin Surl and Brian Calway, you couldn't make it up!”
by username123
Monday, January 14 2013, 7:59PM
“k”